Filing folder



March 24, 1959 K. E. CONSAUL FIL'ING FOLDER Filed Feb. 1, 1957 4 IN VEN TOR.

A 'A/A/ETA z. c0A/54u4 M w MM M Z M Z w mm? 5! Myfi KW 5 2 Kc 5 iii United This invention relates to improvements in folders of the type that are adapted to contain correspondence, and made to be filed vertically.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a folder comprising a single blank of paper stock which is scored for folding and pierced to receive and support interchangeable identification tabs which may be arranged to show the status of the transaction recorded in the filed material.

Further objects of the invention reside in the provision of a folder which is sturdy of structure, economic of manufacture, efiicient in use and susceptible of ready index tab changes by the filing clerk.

Other objects and advantages more or less ancillary to the foregoing, and the manner in which all the various objects are realized, will appear in the following description, which considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, sets forth the preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the folder with the index tab in place therein;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the upper portion of the rear ply of the folder illustrating the lineation of the slits for the tabs;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the folder and one of the index tabs, the section being taken on a plane indicated by the line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a. vertical section through the right end of the folder and tab, the section being taken on a plane indicated by the line 4-4 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a composite view in perspective of the front and rear faces of one of the tabs.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the blank is of rectangular form and is scored adjacent the center thereof with a pair of parallel lines 11 to facilitate the position of the fold. The upper portion of the rearward leaf 12 of the folded blank is punched with a plurality of circular openings 13 spaced in pairs of equi-distant width. Each opening is formed with a communicating centrally disposed inwardly directed slit 14 arranged in normal relation to the upper edge of the leaf 12 and in parallel relation to each other. The slits 14 in each pair of openings are curved towards each other adjacent their lower ends to define shoulders 15, and the stock below the shoulders is further pierced with continuing parallel slits 16 terminating at points 17 in horizontal aligned relation with each other. The openings 13 are spaced so the distance between the outer edges of each pair thereof is equal to the width of each index tab 19 and the stock adjacent the outer sides of the slits 14 and 16 form cars 21 for the support and retention of the tabs 19 when the tabs are forced through the openings 13, over the web 21), intermediate the slits 14 and 16 and under the cars 21. The base of the webs 20 and the ends of the slits 16 provide stops 23 to arrest the inward movement of the tabs when adjusted in place. Each end of both faces of the tabs 19 are printed in different colors so the progress of the transaction may be readily seen when the tabs are properly assembled in the folder. For example, the folder illustrated is designed for use by a company interested in following the customers service requirements quarterly, thus the four pairs of tab holdice ing cars 21 may be used to retain tabs 19 designating a three month period. The ends of each tab are colored brown and red on one side, and blue and yellow on the reverse side so if a quotation is submitted to a customer, one of the tabs is adjusted to show a green marker protruding beyond the upper edge of the folder, and another tab is adjusted at the end of the row of cars to show a red marker which will remind the filing clerk at a glance that a follow-up letter must be sent to the customer within that quarter, in the event the customer has not replied prior to the estimated period. The intermediate tabs may be adjusted to display such colors, and/or time periods as may be desirable to identify the peculiarities of the customers needs.

The upper right-hand corner of the folder is pierced to provide ears 24 similar to the ears 21 for the retention of a tab 25. The tab 25 is of a greater width than the tabs 19 so the name, address and telephone number of the customer may be typed thereon. The tab 25 also contains ruled lines for the entry of notes concerning the account and other indicia to key the account to the ledger page number. If desired, the tab 25 may be pierced in the center thereof to provide an arcuate car 26 and the contiguous leaf or ply of the folder may be pierced with a slit 27 therein for the interlocked engagement of the tab with the folder to prevent accidental removal thereof.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth, it is to be understood that the specific terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining, and that various rearrangements of parts and modifications of detail may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

What is claimed is:

A folder of the vertically filing type forming a filing receptacle and a mounting for identification elements, the folder having two opposed plies folded from a common sheet of cardboard and forming a compartment with a closed bottom and open top and sides, the rearward ply having adjacent the top edge thereof a horizontal row of spaced circular openings arranged in pairs, said rearward ply having a plurality of parallel slits arranged therein normal to the top edge with certain of said slits being disposed superjacent certain other slits, each superjacent slit being aligned with the center of and communicating with an opening of each pair of spaced openings, said certain other slits being disposed in parallel pairs between each superjacent pair of slits with the top of each pair of said certain other slits being connected by slits with the bottom of each pair of superjacent slits, the portion of said rearward ply outwardly of each pair of superjacent slits defining a pair of spaced ears above said connecting slits and the portion of said rearward ply outwardly of each pair of said certain other slits defining ears below said connecting slits with the last mentioned ears being wider than the first named ears, rectangular identification cards underlying said ears and overlying the portion of said rearward ply intermediate each pair of slits, the lower ends of each pair of said certain other slits constituting stops for said identification cards.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 989,094 Wilson Apr. 11, 1911 1,067,531 MacGregor July 15, 1913 1,317,265 Bushnell Sept. 30, 1919 1,751,495 Robinson Mar. 25, 1930 2,452,231 Dobie Oct. 26, 1948 

